The Unexpected visitors
by SW7KMETPA
Summary: A normal day in Middle Earth when a box crashes the woods. The dwarves have no idea what to do with the strangers that turn up but one special dwarf convinces them to let the rapidly changing strangers stay. Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

**Well me and my sister, me the Middle Earth fan and my sister the Hunger Games fan, thought this up a couple of weeks ago but just didn't know how to start it. I finally got the beginning right and everything just flowed so here. Chapter 1. :)**

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Nothing was out of the ordinary. Everyone seemed happy, chatting with those around them. Haymitch was by the open bar, holding a bottle of whisky. I wouldn't have expected anything less.

Effie skipping around, asking the same questions to everyone she saw, "Are you alright? Do you need anything?", only occasionally receiving something in response longer than 'yes' and 'no'.

Plutarch stood talking with President Paylor, probably about some new law that had just been put in place to give more food to the underprivelaged.

Johanna, not very far away but making her way closer to myself and Peeta.

Beetee was stood off to the side playing with a small gadget in his hands, most likely, another communication device, answering questions for Caesar Flickerman who had been buzzing around all day interviewing everyone who had turned up, often coming back to me and Peeta to ask a new question about something no-one wanted to listen to.

Annie was sat by a table trying to coax little Finn into eating something with Gale's little sister, Posy.

Delly, Gale's new girlfriend, walking around with said boyfriend, hanging off his every word like a lovestruck puppy.

Rory and Vick were stood close to the doorway talking animatedly and Hazel was trying to stop Haymitch from hitting the bartender.

My prep team were sat at another of the tables sipping on their drinks, waiting for something to do.

Sae was chatting happily with Effie, distracting her from annoying anyone else.

Mum had just gotten a drink and was now walking to sit back down in her chair, not having gotten over losing Prim three years earlier.

I'd not fully gotten over the initial loss either but that didn't mean i'd turn into her. All she did was sit and drink, not talking to anyone, not doing anything, only leaving the house when I had told her she had to get out, this morning had been one such time.

"What a day huh?" Peeta said quietly, leaning over.

"Yeah... what a day." I replied, only wishing that those who were lost to us could have been there with us. Turning slightly, I noticed that Beetee was waving at me, signalling me to go over, to which, I responded by going over quickly as he was stood out of the way and I could not bear to stand in the crowd much longer. Leaving Peeta to deal with Johanna who was talking quickly, too quickly. I wondered if something was wrong for a moment but dismissed it and made a mental note to find out later on. As I reached my target, I looked Beetee in the eye and smiled. "Hello... Beetee."

"Hello Katniss. I was wondering. Ever heard of time travel?" He cocked a brow at me slightly in question. Was he questioning my intelligence or just taking the mick?

"Of course. Everyone's heard of time travel Beetee. Why do you ask?" I turned around and leaned against the wall at the side of him and turned my head slightly to note his reaction. He looked sharply up at me as though he'd just realised something obvious. His eyes became wide and a smile broke out over his face, to which my own brows furrowed a little. I had no idea what he was doing but he quickly moved away from the wall, grabbing my arm and pulling me with him around a corner and down the hallway that followed.

I was pulled with Beetee until we reached a small room with only a desk in the middle. It was a fancy kind of room that seemed to be someones office. Beetee scurried around the room excitedly picking up random objects from different shelves and drawers and finally putting an arm full of things on the desk before sitting down in the large chair places at a 45 degree angle to the gap in the table, where it was supposed to be. He gestured for me to sit in the chair opposite him. I slowly made my way over to the chair and sat down, wary of what had excited him so intensely.

Beetee sat back in his chair after unravelling one of the dusty scrolls he had picked off a shelf somewhere in the room.

"Katniss. I have a theory..." He trailed off on his words as he sat back up and bent down over the paper, rolling his finger between 4 different points on the sheet. He didn't look to have been going to finish off his sentence.

"Beetee..." his head jerked up and he looked at me. "You're theory?" I twirled my hand, gesturing for him to elaborate.

"Ahh yes." his hand jerked and he clicked his fingers once before linking his fingers, resting his elbows on the desk and leaning on his hands. "OK. I have a theory and I need to to help me prove it to be true." he looked at me expectantly as though he expected me to know what I was meant to do.

"I'll do what I can to aid you but you have to tell me what your theory is and how I can help with it." I said bluntly. Beetee simply moved the rest of the items on the table out of the way and swivelled the scroll he was looked at around so I could see it and pushed it towards me, still looking extremely excited.

"Here. This diagram shows the plans for a time machine. When I found these, I immediately went and built the machine, following the instructions to the letter to make sure it was perfect and... made a few additions of my own. Don't worry there are not weapons on it, just some emergency buttons and switches and the like." He grinned mischeivously and I scrunched my face up, not believing his words as Beetee was a master weapons specialist. "I've tested the machine and, to an extent, i'm assuming it does work but there's no way to prove it currently..."

"And this is where I come in, i'm guessing?" I said, sitting back in my chair and resting my forearms on the arms of the chair.

Beetee's face twitched up into a sad smile as he looked at me. "Yes. I have witnessed what happens on our end in the machine but have no idea how to tell if it actually worked and..." he faltered and looked down to the table. Embarrassment maybe?

"What is it Beetee?" I hooked a finger under his chin and pushed his head up to look at me again. I had no idea what had made him look down and for something to make Beetee look that way, it must be big. He breathed in deeply, exhaling slowly before speaking.

"I can't prove this. But I think that your father may have found a way to travel back in time and that may be where he is, hwever, before you judge, I've already said I cannot prove this, but would you be willing to be my test subject for the machine?" he suddenly became a lot more confident as he once again leaned across the table on his elbows, his eyes bright with anticipation, making me almost laugh at him. I suppressed the chuckle that threatened the surface and thought about the choice in front of her.

I might be able to find my father and find out what actually happened that day at the mine. It would be a good experience and it would be a major technological breakthrough and would mean Beetee's infinite success in Panem. On the downside, there is no way to know for sure, I'd ever get out of it alive, if at all.

Then again.. my father...

"OK Beetee. It sounds like it would be an interesting experience and i"d like to see what the world was like before the games." i smiled briefly at him before standing and extending my hand for him to shake, which he did.

"I think, to locate your father, we would have to go to the site of his disappearance. It may work, it may not but it is a good enough place to start." we smiled at one another before rejoining the gathering of tributes from past games.

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**There you go. Hope you liked it. :)**

**Chapter 2 will be up soon. There shouldn't be huge waits in between each chapter with this story. **

**Review please? Let me know what you think.**

**A.x**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2. This was initially supposed to be attatched to the material in chapter 1 but I thought it would seem too long and that you'd get bored of reading it.**

**Here you go. :)**

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It went off without a hitch. Everyone had fun catching up with the others and even Caesar was chattering aimlessly with those gathered by the end as I made my speech on the past. I had rehearsed it for months and still didn't fully get it right, making a few people laugh in the middle of it. But after that, the crowd slowly dispersed and as myself, Peeta and Haymitch made our way to the train, I thought intently about the time that would follow.

The day to meet Beetee at the mine came too quickly for my liking and, as I made my way through the slowly reforming ruins, I thought about what district 12 had looked like before the bombing. Huts, tightly pushed together. Children running around playing even though they were hungry and tired. Everything seemed to work in harmon with itself, always working out when there was a problem and there were rarely any problems, not even in the seam, well... aside from the hunger.

Reaching the mines, I was flanked on either side by Peeta, who had insisted on coming along, not relenting, even when I told him the whole story, and Haymitch, who, though still drunk from the night before, 'didn't want to see his sweetheart get hurt' at the hands of technology. He had pointedly looked at Peeta at his comment and had stood when I stood to leave, following Peeta out the door.

Beetee was stood, clipboard in hand, checking over the final details, when myself, Peeta and Haymitch reached him, having gone through numerous checks for illnesses, weapons and anything that would interfere with the machine itself. Haymitch had undergone extra tests with a new gadget that helped with the consequences of drinking the night before. Beetee looked up from his clipboard finally and, noticing us, proceeded to drop it on a table by him and make his way over to us, smiling.

"Glad to see you could make it." he said, picking up my hand to shake, before looking at both Peeta and Haymitch in turn. "And you brought friends" he said, still smiling at me.

"Yeah. Peeta insisted and I think this is just something to occupy Haymitch's time." I whispered to Beetee who nodded, agreeing with what I had said, and patted my hand in sympathy. He turned and walked back to where he was, nodding to me to follow and then gesturing his arm out to the side to reveal a large box. "This is it?" I asked, pointing to the big box, looking to Beetee to answer, to which he nodded. Katniss walked around the box, inspecting it before reaching the others again, seeing that Haymitch and Peeta had been given a smaller version of the big box, that opened revealing a big button. Beetee held another one out to me.

"It's for emergencies" he explained. "Now. Only press the button if you absolutely have to. It will send a signal to the other two. Inside the box, there are clearly labelled levers and buttons. Only press the ones you need to. Leave the others alone unless you need them. The box is soundproofed so I put a microphone in there so you can communicate with me while you're in the box. That's it. In you go." Beetee said, ushering us district 12 residents into the big box. I pressed the button to close the door behind us and turned around. Haymitch and Peeta were looking around and Haymitch, about to push a big red button, was stopped as I strode over and slapped his hand away.

"Can you hear me?" Beetee's voice came through overhead to which I sighed and replied.

"Yes Beetee I can hear you."

"Good. There is a lever on the far right of the panel. Push it to the top." I heard and responded quickly and pushed the lever to the top easily. "Now. There is another that labelled time above it. Push that until the indicator by the side read "67"' I obliged, taking my time and then listening for the voice again. "Okay, now just press the red button adn the machine should take you to where we think your father is. You may feel a little turbulence but that will should away within a few seconds." he cut off and I sighed deeply, pushing Peeta out of the way gently to reach the red button, pressing it securely and immediately the machine whirred into life.

It felt as though we were falling as I felt myself lighter and I was lifted slightly off the floor only held down this far as Peeta grabbed my waist and held me to him. After a few seconds, it stopped and I dropped to the floor. Stumbling a little as I landed, I was caught by Peeta as we fell to the ground as the machine stopped and smoke started pouring out of the panel before exploding a little, scaring all three of us into quickly reaching the door with had broken and was lying on the ground around 5 feet away from the machine.

"Great. We broke the machine." I stepped out of the box and walked a few feet, past the box and stretched out. I was quickly joined by both Haymitch and Peeta, who seemed shaken up by their experiences in the box and were both breathing heavily. I smiled at them both before jumping at the sound of a branch snapping behind me and whipping around to find the darkness of the forest we had landed in too dark for me to see far. No-one. "OK. Well I think we should explore where we are. Seeing as how we broke the box."I gestured behind the two men to the machine, which proceeded to break apart, each part landing on the floor, leaving me, Peeta and Haymitch, all looking at the destruction, mouths open. "OK. So we're not getting back home any time soon. Might as well look around to see if we can find someone to help us" I said turning around only to find myself face to face with an arrow held notched by someone, I noticed was male and around the same age as me and Peeta.

"Who are you and what are you doing so close to the mountain?" he asked coldly, not afraid to kill us if we stepped out of line.

"Katniss. And this is Peeta and this, Haymitch." I gestured at the two men behind me who proceeded to wave, cautiously at the man holding an arrow to my head. Peeta held an expression which promised bloodshed, should the men let his arrow go. "I promise we are not here to hurt you, or anyone. We just need help is all. Would you tell me your name?" I asked, glancing down to the arrow trained on my head every few seconds.

The stranger, hesitating only a little, loosened his arrow in his hold and slung the bow back over his head and putting the arrow back in it's quiver before thinking for a few seconds, sighing and relenting. "Fine. I am Kili, son of Dis, Prince of the Blue Mountains and heir of Durin. You need help?" he inclined his head a little in question. I nodded at his question before he carried on. "I really shouldn't do this but... Follow me."

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**There we go. :) Chapter 2. **

**There may probably be a wait for chapter 3 but that's only cause we're stuck on a part of it. :)**

**A.x**


	3. Chapter 3

**I know it's been a while since the last update. Thank you so much to all my readers so far. I hope you carry on with me. :) And thank you so much for the review. It means so much to me to know you like it. :)**

**Here's chapter 3 for you all. Enjoy. xxxx**

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Where had we landed? I knew that the machine had crashed. We all felt it. This 'Kili' had walked back through the woods from which he had emerged and gestured for us to follow with an incline of his head. Haymitch, surprisingly, was the first to move after meeting the stranger. What seemed to be the oddest thing was that he was extraordinarily small for a man, well i assumed he had already come of age, as he looked to be around the same age as myself and Peeta.

Kili walked and we followed in silence, only hesitating a bit as we thought of leaving the machine we had crashed in. As we walked, I made sure we were out of earshot and leaned over to Peeta who was at my side, as close as possible as I knew he didn't want anything to happen to me. Haymitch was a couple of strides ahead and glanced back every few seconds to check on us, Kili doing the same to make sure we were still following and probably thinking to himself of what to do with us.

"Where do you think we are?" I whispered to Peeta. He tipped his head a little towards mine to listen better, before straightening up again in thought and then dipping his head again to reply to my question.

"I have no idea. But these woods look like the ones from the Arena. I don't like it at all Katniss." he replied, his voice betraying a hint of fear. I felt sorry for him as he had not fully gotten over the consequences of the Hunger Games even though it had been years since it happened. I pressed my hand on his arm lightly. It seemed to calm him a little and his shoulders dropped in relaxation. He turned and smiled that little smile at me that never failed to put a smile on my own face, this time was no exception.

We walked behind Kili and Haymitch for goodness knows how long and we eventually reached a tall gateway, sentries positioned on the top, bow and arrows trained on us. "speak your intent here!" one of the guards shouted down. Kili sighed and shouted his reply to them.

"It's Kili! Let me in you fools!" he yelled. The noise of his shout shocked Haymitch, who jumped backwards. It would seem that Prince Kili can be a loud person. I wonder who taught him that...

"Oh.. I'm sorry my Prince. But who are your companions? You left alone this morning." The guard shouted down, not quite as loud as before, but still loud enough to be heard.

"I'm taking them to my uncle, who i'm sure would not be happy that you kept us waiting out here." he became impatient and stamped his foot a little on the word 'not', almost like a small child would in a sulk. It was almost enough to make me giggle. I turned and hid my face in Peeta's side as my face threatened to break out into laughter. A small squeak left me as I did so and I just saw Kili turn sharply towards me, face stoic and impassive. The guard audibly sighed and shouted to the others to open the gates 'for Prince Kili', openly announcing his arrival to those who were on the other side of the gate.

Kili walked forward, slipping through the gates, closely followed by Haymitch, myself and Peeta and the gate was shut behind us, making a loud bang as the wood of the two huge doors clanged together. We followed the Prince, heads down as we walked through crowds of people equally as small as Kili. I had no idea where we were in Panem but I had the sneaking suspicion it would not end well for any of us.

Kili lead us up the hill and into a large building which looked a little like the home President Snow had occupied in the Capitol. We were taken down a main hall just inside the building and through a set of heavy doors into a room that looked large enough to host an army in it, or at the least a ball.

At the end of the room stood a chair, elevated on three steps, a throne and atop the seat, sat a man, older than Kili, by the looks of him. This man had a head of ebony hair, streaked faintly with grey hairs, hinting that he has seen the years behind. The man stood as we entered and made his way down the stairs quickly, making his way towards us before stopping in front of Kili and embracing him.

"Kili. How was your hunt?" he said as he wrapped his arm around the boy and pushing him back the way he came, towards the throne.

"There was no game in the woods. But I found some remarkable people as I searched." Kili spoke and turned in the man's grasp to gesture at us. "Peeta, Haymitch and... I do apologise but it would seem I have forgotten your name miss..?"

"Katniss." I answered impatiently.

"Katniss." he responded, causing me to feign a smile simply in recognition of him getting my name right. The man with Kili came towards us, steel gaze focused on the three of us.

"What do you seek here strangers?" he said. His tone, hard and cold, just as Kili's had been when we first met him. I did not want to answer straight away as I did not know how much of our story to divulge. Thankfully, Haymitch stepped forward confidently and spoke instead.

"We seek shelter. We were... travelling and the young boy here.." he gestured to Kili who yelped a strong 'hey, I am not a boy anymore!' at Haymitch's words (which caused me to snicker and I swear I saw the man in front of me's lips twitch aswell). "... was kind enough to bring us here as we do not know where we are currently." Haymitch finished by looking around the large hall.

The man we knew nothing of looked directly at me, ice blue eyes stared me down. "Is this true?" he asked, his voice seemingly less hard now.

"Y... Yes." I whispered feebly before noticing my mistake and standing up straight. "Yes." I said a little stronger now and faced the man.

"Fine. There is an Inn down the road..." he turned to walk away only to turn back at the sound of the doors opening and another small man walk through, papers in hand and axe on his back.

"Thorin, the library didn't have the scrolls you asked for, these ones were the closest we found..." the man said as he strode into the hall. This man seemed to be nicer than the man we were previously talking to, who was now helping the new arrival with the scrolls he had just dropped. The two of them placed the scrolls on a table near the door.

Haymitch cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the two men who walked slowly towwards us and standing in front of us. The man that had just arrived looked closely at me then at the two men at either side of me before speaking. "Thorin" he gestured for the other man to come closer to him. "I do not believe them of any threat. In fact I see them as a benefit to us, if anything." he said. This 'Thorin' did not seem swayed by the man.

"Are you suggesting we let them stay? We know nothing of them or their origins, Jed." Thorin replied, turning to look at his friend before the smaller of the two (Jed.) took his arm and pulled him away from us, out of earshot. I could see the animated talking the two where doing and noticed that Thorin's movements were much more angry than Jed's and that Jed seemed to be trying to reason with the bigger male as they argued. Eventually, after a few long minutes standing awkwardly in the middle of the hall, uncomfortable with leaving my back open for anyone to swoop in and stab me, Thorin seemed to relent to something Jed had said and the two of them made their way back over to us.

Jed and Thorin both looked at each other as they stood in front of us and it seemed to be silently decided that Jed would speak. "You are welcome to stay here in our halls, seeing as how you are Prince Kili's guests. Due to this, you will stay near his lodgings and report to me, here, in the morning as we know it is late and questioning should not be done so late in the evening." he gestured for Kili, who was talking to another male, this one blonde. The brunette prince made his way over, skipping slightly as he reached the five of us.

"Kili, you are responsible for the actions of these three. Take them to get something to eat and let them rest in the spare beds near your chambers. They are to report here in the morning for questioning with Jed. Do you understand?" Thorin said to the young male, who nodded before tipping his head slightly in the silent gesture to follow before walking off to the right. I followed and I knew Haymitch and Peeta were following me. As we neared the door, I turned back quickly to look back into the huge room to find Thorin and Jed quietly talking with the blonde male Kili had been talking to earlier.

I followed after the dark haired prince until we found ourselves in a room full to the brim with foods. Fruits, vegetables and meat, lots of meat. "Help yourselves to whatever food you desire. I will return shortly." Kili bounced out of the room and left our sights as we stood, helplessly looking at the food, not knowing what to have.

We ate in silence, each eating the same. Deer and vegetables. Kili returned just as I had finished chewing the last of my food and wiped my mouth with the napkin present on the table.

"Done?" he chirped, before smiling as we all nodded. "Good. Now if you'll follow me. You're beds are ready." he gestured again for us to follow, to which we obliged and followed after him to a hallway with 3 doors. Kili gestured to each before speaking. "One for each of you. I will not bother you. Goodnight." He said before turning swiflty and walking away down the hallway. I soon heard a door opening and closing.

Haymitch walked towards the first door and peeked in the doorway before turning to us and saying "You two can share that room. I'll just have this one." He smirked at us as we walked to the doorway and walked into the room. "Goodnight. See you in the morning." he said as he shut the door behind us and I heard the soft click of another door as he let himself into another room.

Peeta sighed beside me and walked further into the room, sitting down on the edge of the bed and pulling his shoes off before neatly placing them next to his feet. He looked up at me and, noticing my discomfort, stood and strode over to where I stood and placed his lips upon my forehead in a gentle kiss. "We'll be fine Katniss. Get some sleep and tomorrow, we'll find a way home." he smiled that special smile at me again and turned, taking my hand and leading me over to the bed, where I laid down and rested my head on the pillow, closing my eyes. I felt the bed move and Peeta's arm's wrap around me as he pulled me back into his body, creating a warm pocket. It wasn't long before I let sleep claim me for the night, comfortable in the hold of Peeta's arms, dreading the day ahead.

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**Well there you go guys. Chapter 3. Hope you liked it. Drop me a review or a PM with your thoughts or anything. Check out my other stories if you like the Hobbit side of this one. **

**The next chapter should be updated in the next few days. :) **

**A.x**


	4. Chapter 4

**I couldn't wait. It's what I do. I write more than one chapter and can't resist updating them all within a couple of days of one another. Here you go though. Chapter 4 **

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I awoke that morning cold. Stretching out I realised that Peeta was no longer behind me so I sat up slowly and looked around the room. I found Peeta sat in a corner of the room, in a chair with his legs tucked underneath him, reading a book.

"Where'd you find the book?" I asked as I swung my legs out over the side of the bed and stood, making my way over to him.

"There's a bookshelf over there." He looked up from the book he was reading to point across the room where, true to his word, stood an oak bookshelf, full of books. I had apparently, not noticed it when we arrived the evening before. Peeta made a noise that revealed that his legs had gone numb from the position he had been reading in, and pushed his legs out in front of him, stretching them. I heard both of his knees crack as he stood up and walked across the room to put the book away before making his way to the door. "Shall we?" he held his hand out to me, which I took.

We made our way through the corridors we had followed Kili through the night before and soon found ourselves in the main hall again. Jed was sitting casually on the steps in front of the throne talking to Haymitch who had placed himself on the same step further along. Jed was holding some sort of map but quickly put it away as he heard Katniss and Peeta enter the room. "Ah. You're here. Your friend here has been awake for some time. It is currently mid morning." he smirked at us and I could see the smirk building on Haymitch's face aswell.

"You wanted us here in the morning. It is the morning and here we are." I said grouchily as I was not known for being polite in the mornings.

Jed merely laughed. "Yes you are. Walk with me." he did not wait for our response but turned and walked through a side door near the throne. Following him, we found ourselves in a courtyard full of colourful flowers. It reminded me a little of Prim. Jed carried on walking and walked to the middle of the courtyard to sit on one of the benches. He gestured to the one opposite him for us to sit in, to which, we obliged and sat in the order we were used to. Haymitch, me, Peeta. "Now. I do not know why you are here, or how you got here. I have my suspicions but aside from what Kili told me, I am blind. But from the sound of it, you were not expecting to be here. Correct?" Jed leaned forward to rest his forearms on his thighs.

"Yes. That is correct." I nodded at him. He nodded back as putting pieces together in his mind.

"From what Kili told me, you 'crash landed', as he put it, into the grass, where he found you. Yes?" He looked up at me expectantly.

"Yes." I replied, suspicious of what he was thinking of us in that moment. "Why does this matter?"

Jed seemed to hesitate to answer for a moment before overcoming it. "It matters because we want to know all we can. In truth. We know nothing of any of you and you arrived here quite unexpectantly."

"It was very unexpected to us too, I can tell you." Peeta said. Jed chuckled at Peeta's response and changed the subject.

"So, I heard that you two shared a room last night. Does that mean we won't be needing the other spare room?" Jed glanced at me, eyebrow raised, as though he knew more than he was saying.

"Yes."I ducked my head, not content to talk much more about this topic with someone I barely knew. "But that's not really any of your business is it?" I mumbled under my breath. I felt more than heard the chuckle that came from Peeta as we were sat very close to one another.

"Sorry. Did you say something?" Jed tried to look me in the face, but failed as I ducked my head further.

"No." I said before lifting my head high. "Are we finished here?" I looked him straight in the face as I said it. "We need to find a way home after all."

"Of course. You are welcome to stay in these halls as long as you like." He kindly said as we all stood and myself, Peeta and Haymitch made our way back through the door we had come out of and back into the main hall. When we found ourselves in the wide space of stone, I turned around in the huge room to find it was even bigger than I had thought previously.

"Peeta." I turned my head a little and Peeta strode quickly to my side. "How long are we staying here for?"

"As long as it takes to find a way home, Katniss, as long as it takes." I felt him wrap his arms around my waist and drop his chin on my shoulder as he spoke. We stayed that way for what felt like hours, not realising Haymitch had left us or the night had descended until Jed walked through the hall, shouting over his shoulder.

"Goodnight you two!" he shouted and we started at the noise. We both sighed simultaneously and walked back to the room we shared and slept the night through.

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**Well there we have it. Chapter 4 Hope you liked it. Let me know what you thought. Am working on the next couple of chapters at the moment so they should be up for you soon. :) **

**A.x**


	5. Chapter 5

**OK. i know it's been a couple of weeks... well i think so anyway. :) but heres the next chapter hope you like it. :)**

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We stayed in 'Ered Luin', as Jed called it, for 6 months and, in that time, nothing happened. Each day we met new dwarves while walking around the palace or the town area of the city. We became fast friends with Kili and his elder brother, by 5 years, Fili. The two brothers had attempted to pull a small prank on us just a month after we had arrived. By this time, we had known Kili a lot better and had breifly met Fili in passing a few times. I still don't know why they planned on pranking us, but Kili was the one to put a 'spanner in the works' as he tried to stop Fili initiating the prank in the first place. It was Nori, the sneaky 'dwarf' that he is, was the one to tell us of the joking nature of the two brothers and I sought them out, finding them in the courtyard that we had visited on the second day we had been here.

As soon as I came into view, both Fili and Kili looked up at me and immediately stopped their conversation mid-sentence. Narrowing my eyes at the pair, I proceeded to walk towards them and sit down on the edge of the bench they were both sat on.

"So.. I hear you tried to play a prank on me and Peeta?" I said casually. Not looking at the two brothers but I knew that they were looking at me with matching shocked expressions. "Anything to say on the subject?" I cocked a brow, even though they couldn't see my face as I was facing away, playing with a flower on a bush that was growing to my side.

"I... Err... We didn't... How?" Kili stuttered out from behind me.

"I have my sources. So nothing to say?" I replied, turning to face them both and found that Kili looked ashamed of the prank that had almost happened whereas Fili was looking directly at me, eyes narrowed. I smirked back at him and looked at Kili. "No? Oh well." I slipped off the bench but turned and bent to whisper in Kili's ear, leaning my hands on his thighs. I turned my head towards his and pressed my lips to the skin below his ear. I felt him quiver as I did so and smirked, flicking my eyes over to Fili who was still looking at me, eyebrow cocked in amusement as he shook his head at me. I pulled away, turned, and walked away, containing the laughter that threatened to burst from me.

After that, myself, Peeta, Fili and Kili spent a lot of time 'hanging out' in town, hunting, practicing our skills (archery in mine and Kili's case, Peeta and Fili were more individual in their skills, Peeta being handy with the heavier weapons and Fili being better with the twin swords he had been gifted with years before). Thorin still watched us vigilantly, always watching over the training sessions the four of us would attend, closely watching mine and Peeta's training, occasionally looking around to talk to the dwarf who had been introduced to us as Dwalin, who turned, everytime Thorin whispered to him, and said something to the other dwarf behind him who ran from the area, presumably to tell another dwarf about what Thorin had said in the first place.

Half way through one of the many practice sessions me and Kili participated in, Thorin walked into the arena we had our targets set up in and whispered something in Kili's ear. Kili then proceeded to bow lowly to me and walk away, leaving me in the company of Thorin and Dwalin who was stood by the archway, that lead to the streets.

"My Lord." I faced Thorin and bowed as I was taught to do via Kili during the previous practice session.

Thorin looked shocked that I had changed the way I spoke those words. He quickly regained composure of that thought and his face returned to it's usual look of stone. "Miss Everdeen..."

"Katniss. Please." I responded, cutting him off before he went any further.

"...Katniss. As I'm sure you're aware, I've monitored your practice in this arena. Myself and the other leaders in this department have decided that your skills are exemplary and I am here to present you with a gift." he reached over his shoulder to pull over a bag I had not known he was carrying. He placed the package in my outstretched hands. "Open it." he ordered and I quickly obliged as I reached into the bag and pulled out the most beautiful bow I had ever seen. Dropping the bag on the floor, I held up the bow Thorin had gifted me.

"Wow." I looked back at Thorin who was currently walking away. "Thank you." I called after him. I saw him stop for a second before speaking.

"Your welcome... Katniss." he said before he continued to walk away. I looked back at my bow smiling. _He's warming up to me. Finally._ I thought as I looked at my new bow. Pulling the string back, Kili walked back through the doors and straight towards me. His eyes widened at the sight of my bow and he smiled at me.

"I received one, similar but very different if you know what to look for, for my 50th birthday." Those last words shocked me out of my thoughts of the bow and I looked directly at him. He seemed to be confused with my reaction.

"You're 50?!" I exclaimed. Who wouldn't after they've just found out that a boy who looks 24 is actually 50. I stepped back a little from him, not letting go of my bow,

"77 actually. Yes I know. I'm young. But, i'm 'talented'." He emphasised the accents around the word 'talented' with the use of his hands. I felt my jaw drop as I looked at him. 77?!

"Very funny Kili. You must be what? 25.. 26 at the oldest.." I turned and pulled an arrow out of the open quiver standing by us. Notching it into the bow and pulling tight.

"Actually..." I got ready to fire straight at the centre of the target we had set up with the bow Thorin had gave me. "He's right Katniss" Stunned, I loosened my hand, letting it drop by my side as the arrow zipped through the air. I didn't get to see where the arrow hit as I turned towards the voice that had just joined us. I found Peeta stood a few feet behind an incredulous Kili.

"You believe him?" I asked Peeta, suddenly angry at this new joke they were playing on me.

"Katniss... Dwarves age differently than we do.." he walked closer to me and Kili as I balanced the bow carefully on the 40 arrows in the quiver. "Kili. I need to talk to Katniss for a while. Do you might if I take her from you?" He said as he passed said dwarf, who, now that I noticed, didn't seem to be as small now as he did when we first met.

"Not at all. I'll just practice on my own. No problem. You go Katniss. I'll have your new bow taken to your room." Kili smiled at me as Peeta slid his hand around my elbow and pulled me away from the practice area and out of the arena itself.

Peeta lead me back through the numerous courtyards of the different practice areas where hundreds of dwarves were convening for a reason I did not know. All I did know was, when I turned to find what all the dwarves were looking at, I found Thorin stood, talking produly to his soldiers. There wasn't time to listen to what he had to say as I was pulled through the crowds and back to the palace where Peeta dragged me through the corridors and back to the room we had occupied for the 6 months we had lived in the Blue Mountains.

I pulled my arm out of Peeta's grip and walked over to the chair in the corner of the room and sat down, focusing my eyes on Peeta who sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Why did you bring me back here Peeta? And what's the deal with Kili? Haaha. 77. Seriously? Does he think i'm completely gullible?" I asked, trying to contain the anger I felt for this situation. I crossed my legs in the chair to be more comfortable.

"Actually Katniss... Dwarves here age differently to us. They live around 2 and a half times as long as the longest living people from districts 1 and 2." he paused and stood. "Kili is very touchy about his age. I pulled you away from Kili then because I think you may have hurt him by thinking he was taking it as a joke." he walked over to me and crouched, rest on the balls of his feet in front of me. "All dwarves are a little touchy when it comes to age. And beards. But that doesn't matter right now. But I must warn you not to take their age as a joke." he stood again, holding his hand out for me to take. I reached out and he pulled me to my feet.

"OK. I won't. I promise. I should, however, go and say sorry to Kili for talking to him that way." I looked down at the floor as I thought of what i'd just done and started for the door.

"Katniss. There was another reason I wanted to talk to you... When we arrived, did you notice how small the others seemed to us?" He looked at me expectantly.

"Yes. Of course. They are dwarves. They were bound to be smaller than us.." I began but was cut off by Peeta speaking.

"And have you noticed recently that they no longer seem to be as small.. the same deal with the buildings." His eyes widened as he spoke and I thought about all the training I had ben to with the brothers and the other dwarves we had been introduced to and realised he was right. My eyes widened as well and I'm sure I matched his expression perfectly.

"I hadn't noticed it until now but yes. You're right Peeta. Do you think they might be growing?" I thought out loud.

"No Katniss. Not all of them. And definately not the buildings. I think we're getting smaller. I think we're becoming dwarves."

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**There we go guys. :) Chapter 5. Hope you guys liked it. :) **

**Let me know?**

**A.x**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here we go! Next chapter. Enjoy. :)**

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During our time in Middle Earth, we gradually spent less and less time with Haymitch, eventually not seeing him unless we ran into him in the hallways. A few weeks after I recieved my bow, I met the dwarf Ori, brother of Nori and Dori, who worked in the library of Ered Luin. I wouldn't have met him at all, had Fili and Kili not dragged Peeta into one of their pranks on their Uncle, a prank I definately did not want to see the outcome of, though I did hear the shouts from the King as he realised he had become a victim of the brothers' antics.

The evening after I received my dwarven bow, I sat in our room inspecting my new bow that Kili had dropped off, during which, I took the opportunity to apologise profusely to him. I received a hug from Kili in recognition of what I had said and I was oddly very happy after that. I sat, turning the bow every way, to look it over and test the balance as best i could in the small space. The bow itself was a combination of wood and gold with slivers of mithril running through it. I had learned how much mithril and gold meant to the dwarves and felt extremely honoured to receive the gift.

Peeta came in the room after I had spent half an hour looking at the bow. He held a warhammer in his hand and, when I asked him about it, he simply said, "Thorin gave it to me, said I was doing well and wished me luck in the future. He's asked if we would go down to the throne room when we could, by the way."

"OK. I'll just freshen up, then we'll go down." I gave him a small smile and walked into the small room off the side of our bedroom. It simply contained a sink and a bathtub. I sorted myself out pretty quickly and washing my hands and face with the soap that Haymitch had thrown into the room earlier. Peeta was stood in the centre of the room when I came back out of the room. He gestured he his hands for me to follow and as I took his hand, he smiled and turned to walk out of the door.

We walked into the throne room laughing at a joke Peeta had said and as we realised that the attention of all of those in the throne room was on us, we stopped abruptly, unclasping our hands and throwing them behind our backs.

"Glad to see you could join us." Thorin said from in front of his throne. He was amused by our little display, i could tell. "We have something to discuss with you, courtesy of my nephews."

"Of course." both myself and Peeta bowed our heads and went to join the small crowd of dwarves collected in the area before the throne. I looked towards Fili and Kili for some idea of what was going on but found their impassive faces discomforting.

"Now. I've brought you all here today to discuss a very serious matter. Each one of you was chosen specifically by one of the council members as being the best suited for this task. As most of you know, one of the only things holding us back from reclaiming Erebor was the lack of someone to infiltrate the beasts lair. But, with the help of Gandalf the Grey, we have found someone whom, he beleives, will help us. Most of you have already agreed to help us with this quest, but we cannot do this alone. We begin our quest and set out from Ered Luin in 3 days. You have until then to decide." Thorin gestured out to the crowd. I looked to the Durin brothers and found them both watching me smiling. Peeta tugged me out of the room and as we left the hall, so did the other dwarves.

We went back to our room, not speaking and opened the door, going to step inside when someone spoke behind us.

"Are you going to go on the quest with Thorin then?" Haymitch said and as we turned around to face him, the door banged against the wall and I stepped towards him.

"I don't know Haymitch. I've heard everything about it from Ori and I know how much of a risk it is with us. However, we may find another way to get home if we go..." I thought about it for a moment then looked up at Haymitch. "I want to go."

"No Katniss." Peeta said and I turned to face him.

"You don't want to go home?" I said bitterly.

"Why would I? I like it here, Katniss. We have friends and they're becoming our family. They've taken care of us when, most likely, no-one else in Middle Earth would have. What have I got back in Middle Earth? Hm? Nothing. There is nothing for me back there." Peeta then turned and walked back into the room leaving me and Haymitch in the corridor.

"You're going to go anyway aren't you?" Haymitch said from behind me, shocking me out of it.

"I have to find a way home. I know Peeta thinks of the dwarves here as his family and they're mine too, but I have a family in Panem and... Wait.. Are you not going?" I turned to him.

"I've already told you. I'm with the Mockingjay." He smiled at me and turned to go in his room and i turned to go in mine, dreading the anger Peeta will have when he realises i'm going.

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**Well... there we go. I sincerely apologise if theres any delay with any of the updates in the near future but college is a bit hectic at the moment. :)**

**Hope you liked it, drop me a PM or review maybe?**

**A.x**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's the next chapter. Enjoy. :)**

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Balin knocked on the door and looked back me as I was worrying the string around my wrist again. "It will be fine Katniss, you'll see." he smiled kindly at me and be quickly reacted to the round green door being opened and a 'hobbit' as Ori had told me, popped his head around it. "Ah, Balin.." he bowed dramatically and i didn't try to hold back the smile on my face. "at your service." The hobbit looked to me expectantly.

"I'm Katniss." I bowed, as i found out fairly recently, was courtesy in dwarven greetings.

"Good evening." he said, seemingly beqildered that we were here in the first place. I thought that Gandalf had told him we were coming? He should have known.

"Yes, it is, though, I think it might rain later." Balin said, to break the awkward silence that had fallen over us and walked over the threshold of the dwelling to embrace the hobbit before turning and exclaiming over his brother being here.

"May I enter?" I asked, not content to enter someones house uninvited like the dwarves were so fond of.

"Of course." the hobbit smiled graciously, probably happy that I actually asked unlike some people I could mention.

I gave him a small smile and walked past him towards the two brothers who now stood with their arms on each others shoulders. I removed the bow Thorin had given me, from my back and placed it down to the side of the door alongside the quiver that went with it and turned back to the two brothers. As I approached, they both smiled at each other and smashed their heads together. I shook my head at the two of them.

"Doesn't that hurt?" I laughed and saw them both turn to me smirking.

"Dwarves have hard heads Katniss. You should know that by now." Dwalin said, clapping his hand on my shoulder in recognition of me actually being there. I looked at the mantle above the roaring fire and found a cookie jar open. I smiled and grabbed it, easily slipping my head inside and grabbing one. Just before I was about to eat the cookie, I looked up to find Dwalin looking at the cookie longingly. Sighing I handed the cookie over and grabbed another one out of the jar, just as Bilbo came into the room jabbering on about us being in the wrong house. We knew we weren't and ignored him, following Dwalin through the rooms that lead to the dining hall. Dwalin and Balin immediately entered the room and tried to move the bookcase that was just inside the door. I stood back with Bilbo and, when a knock came from the door, I followed him to it.

Opening the round green door, I looked and found Fili and Kili, smiling confidently as they introduced themselves. Peeta stood to the side of Kili staring at me, anger clear on his face as he introduced himself stiffly. Kili immediately made a fool of himself calling Bilbo 'Mr Boggins'. My hand flew to my face as I stifled my laughter at his incompetence and kept a straight face.

"Nope sorry, you've come to the wrong house." Bilbo tried to shut the door on them only to have Kili stop him, looking distraught at the thought they'd got it wrong.

"Has it been cancelled?"

Bilbo shook his head slightly and responded quickly. "Wha? No, nothings been cancelled." He stumbled over his words and i fought the urge to laugh at his reaction.

"Mr Baggins. They are with us. I warn you, there will be more." I watched as Bilbo resigned and allowed Fili, Kili and Peeta to enter the hobbits dwelling. "Weapons guys." I told the three of them as they walked through the doorway. Kili grumbled a little but after a nudge from his brother, removed his bow and quiver from his back and leaned them up against the wall neatly. Peeta dropped his large warhammer by the door and placed the sword he was now learning to use, on a large box. Fili, harboring the most weapons between them, removed each one and placed them all in Bilbo's arms, whom mumbled under his breath and complained when Kili wiped his feet on a box. "Come on, Balin and Dwalin may need your help." I turned to make my way to the dining hall but was stopped by a hand on my arm, pulling me back.

"Fili and Kili can help them. Me and you need to talk." Peeta's voice resonated through the hall and Fili and Kili began walking, following the disgruntled Hobbit as he grumbled to himself. Peetas hand tightened around my arm and he pulled me into a room to the side. He let go of my arm to close the door behind us and turned back to me.

"I know. I shouldn't have come alone..." I was interrupted by Peeta talking again.

"You shouldn't have come at all Katniss. You know it will put you in danger. I don't want you at risk." he put his hands on my arms and sighed as the crashing noises from outside the room indicated that the rest of the company had arrived. He turned and opened the door again. "We'll talk later Katniss." he left me alone in, what I found to be a bedroom. I sat down and pressed my head into my hands, angry at myself for upsetting him.

Standing up, I made my way to the door, knowing I no longer shared the same beliefs as Peeta.

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**Hope you liked it. Took me a while to write. I had a little writers block for a minute. :L**

**Let me know if i'm going wrong somewhere or whatever guys!**

**A.x**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the long wait guys. heres the next chapter and im working on getting the rest to you quicker! :) enjoy. xxx**

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We sat down at the long table Dwalin and Balin had brought into the room and watched as the rest of the dwarves carried what seemed like the entire contents of Mister Bilbo's pantry into the room and filled the table full of meats and vegetable and goodness knows what else they found in Bilbo's stores.

"Miss?" I turned to find Dori stood behind myself and Peeta. "Would you two like a drink?" he linked his fingers together and looked at us questioningly.

I thought about it for a moment and heard Peeta ask for ale. "I'll have the same, thank you Dori." I said and watched as he turned his back from us and walked away, only stopping to give Gandalf a small glass of red wine. A very small glass, it would seem. I held back a small laugh as Gandalf grumbled a little at the lack of wine in his 'glass'.

It was a matter of minutes before everyone was sat around the large table throwing food to their friends and relatives, laughing and chatting, sharing stories of their journey to the hobbit's hole. Gandalf had tried to count the dwarves that had turned up so far and had, slowly, realised there were two missing, to which, Dwalin revealed that Thorin and Jed had gone north to a meeting of the dwarven lords.

Sat in between Peeta and Ori, we joked and laughed with the dwarves we had spent the past year getting to know. Bofur had thrown some sort of pastry, which Bombur deftly caught in his mouth, causing a roar of cheers to erupt across the table.

After everyone had eaten their fill and cleared Mr Baggins pantry of it's entire contents, the dwarves were gracious enough to bless the hobbit with a song of theirs, used when tidying up. Not knowing the song, I sat in the corner with Peeta, laughing at Kili and Fili leading the company in the song.

"Blunt the knives.  
Bend the forks.  
Smash the bottles And burn the corks.  
Chip the glasses And crack the plates.  
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!"

The merriment was short lived however as Bilbo tried to follow his plates around as they were thrown from dwarf to dwarf through the corridors. He ran into the kitchen to find the whole company, including myself and Peeta as we had been pulled through by Fili and Kili, laughing and smiling to one another as the hobbit tried to find words for his thoughts.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The room was silent as each member of the company turned to face the sound of the heavy knocks on the round, green door of the hobbit's hole.

"He is here." Gandalf sighed, standing up and making his way to the door to let the dwarf king in.

We all followed the wizard to the door and stood back while Thorin and Jed entered the 'hill' and took off their fur coats, handing them to Gandlaf who had held his hands out for them before hanging them up on the coat rack beside the door. Jed greeted the other dwarves happily, shaking hands with many of them and embracing Balin and Dori as he walked around the company. Thorin, however, scrutinised the hobbit within seconds of being in his dwellings.

"So this is the hobbit?" he glanced at the wizard who nodded at the dwarf.

"Doesn't seem like much to me." Jed whispered, loudly enough that most of us could here. The hobbit looked sharply to him and, furrowing his brows in frustration at the two new arrivals, walked away, through the doorway to the side of the front door and straight through to the kitchen, where he began preparing food for the two new dwarves to enter his home.

The rest of the company simply laughed and walked back through the corridor to sit down at the table again. Bilbo brought Jed and Thorin some stew that, I assumed was sitting on the heat for a while as it looked to be hot. The heat didn't seem to bother them as they ate quickly, finishing within minutes. Gandalf sat, quite awkwardly, down into the chair next to Thorin, where Jed sat on his other side, and the wizard pulled out a map and laid it down on the table, holding down the corners with weights from behind him.

Erebor. The Lonely Mountain. That's what all of this was about and the little hobbit had no idea about much that had happened to Thoin and his family, to which, said dwarf explained what happened with Smaug and the treasure and Thror. I looked at Ori and smiled before hearing a thud and turning to find the hobbit flat out on the floor. Immediately, I was on my feet and I lifted Bilbo to carry him through to another room and placed him in a chair and gave him a cup of 'green-tea' as I'd found out he liked, before leaving him to talk to Gandalf and standing with Balin as Thorin stood across from us in the hallway and Peeta, Fili and Kili where nowhere I could physically see from where I was.

Within minutes, Bilbo walked out of the room I had left earlier and quickly made his way down the corridor to his bedroom.

"It seems we have lost our for the best. the odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy-makers. Hardly the stuff of legend" Balin said sadly, looking to me and then Thorin.

"There are a few warriors amongst us Balin." Thorin looked pointedly at Balin and smiled slightly.

"Old Warriors, Thorin." The white haired dwarf replied, sighing and leaning against the wood behind him.

Both of the dwarves ignored my standing there but Thorin carried on. "I would take each and every one of these Dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them, they answered. Loyalty. Honor. A Willing Heart.. I can ask no more than that." he said before ordering everyone to get some sleep before beginning the journey.

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**well there we go. Hope you liked it! And now we're gonna begin with the actual quest. :)**

**A.x**


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